The Norwalk River Valley Trail is seeking $132,000 in donations by Sept. 1, 2018, to trigger a 4-to-1 match grant from the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, which would put $1.3 behind the trails WilWalk project. less

The Norwalk River Valley Trail is seeking $132,000 in donations by Sept. 1, 2018, to trigger a 4-to-1 match grant from the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, which would put $1.3 ... more

Photo: Pat Tomlinson / Hearst Connecticut Media

Image 2 of 3

Wilton residents Helga Morrell and Kathy Weidner enjoy the warm weather while walking with their dog on Norwalk River Valley Trail on Tuesday, May 1, 2018.

Wilton residents Helga Morrell and Kathy Weidner enjoy the warm weather while walking with their dog on Norwalk River Valley Trail on Tuesday, May 1, 2018.

Photo: Pat Tomlinson / Hearst Connecticut Media

Image 3 of 3

NRVT seeks public’s help in connecting Norwalk, Wilton trails

1 / 3

Back to Gallery

WILTON — Norwalk River Valley Trail proponents are racing to raise $132,000 in donations to connect its trails in Wilton and Norwalk, and more than $1 million in state grant funds hang in the balance based on their success.

Fundraisers successfully raised the first half of the required $264,000 before the May 1 deadline set by the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. Now, the organization is back on the clock to raise the remaining $132,000 by Sept. 1 if they want to trigger the department’s 4-to-1 match grant that would put $1.3 behind the trail’s “WilWalk” project.

The grant would fund the groundbreaking of the WilWalk stretch of the trail, a portmanteau combining the names of Wilton and Norwalk. Over the next year, Vermont-based contractor is expected to begin excavating and laying the crushed-stone, stone-dust trail base, starting near the end of the Route 7 Connector at Grist Mill Road and stretching to Kent Road. Work will also begin on the opposite end of the WilWalk section, to expand the existing Wilton Loop down to Old Quarry Pond, which lies south of Orem’s Diner.

The entire 4.8-mile WilWalk section is temporarily slated for completion between 2022 and 2023.

The proposed expansion south into Norwalk, however, has forced the NRVT to expand their fundraising efforts as well.

While the showcase section of the trail, a 2.5-mile stretch called the Wilton Loop, was built using only personal donations from residents and hiking enthusiasts, Executive Director of the NRVT Charlie Taney said the latest fundraising campaign has sought out corporate donors.

“We felt that since this WilWalk section will be running along Route 7 and behind a lot of companies, we have been encouraging the corporate sector to donate because it’s good for them. It’s great for attracting and retaining employees, because people want a place to walk, run or bike during lunch or on the way to work,” Taney said.

Companies like National Resources, the developer behind iPark, have already answered the call for support with sizable donations, and Taney said he hopes more local businesses will follow suit.

Last week, the NRVT announced it had come closer to funding the Wilton stretch of the trail thanks to a $5,000 donation from Wilton-based Canine Company, an at-home pet services provider. In addition to supporting new trail development, the company donated four doggy waste bag stations for the Wilton trailheads. The gifts were made as part of the company’s 35th anniversary celebration.

“We wanted to mark this important anniversary with a gift for our hometown, which has been good to us for so many years,” said Canine Company President Jennifer Hill. “The NRVT is a great resource for Wilton families, and it’s wonderful that our dogs are welcome to walk the trails with us. We think this donation is a great way to help our neighbors keep their pets happy and healthy.”

Despite donations from corporate donors, Taney said the organization will still rely heavily on personal donations.

After walking the trail on and off with his wife over the past year, Norwalk resident Corrin Huddleston said the trail has more than earned his donation.

“People have to work to put a beautiful trail like this together, and especially to maintain it. The least I can do is donate something to it, and hopefully other people are doing the same,” Huddleston said.

The NRVT will also host its first ever fundraising event to try and meet the fundraising requirements. The first annual “Strut Your Mutt” will be held May 5, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., along stretches of the trail in Norwalk, Wilton and Ridgefield. In Wilton, the walk will go from the commuter parking lot at Wolfpit and Danbury roads to Sharp Hill Road and back, which is about 30 minutes both ways.

The event is open to all ages and will include bandanas and treats for the dogs, wristbands for hikers, goodie bags, selfies, trophies, medals and prizes, including “Most Creative Dog Costume.”

Registration is $20 for families and per person through April 20 and $30 after that. For more information, visit muttstrut.nrvt-trail.com.